By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Mumbai: An awareness campaign against Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 2008 was organized by ‘Peoples Movement Against UAPA’ on the evening of 11 February 2014 in Anjuman Islam Karimi Library, Mumbai. Many social activists, law students and advocates were the part of this campaign. A healthy and educative debate was held on the draconian sections of Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 2008 and the amendments which are due to be introduced in the parliament.
The campaigns convener Mr. Kamal Farooq , ex chairman of Minority Commission Delhi, said while enlightening the sections of Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) that soon the amended UAPA Act is going to be introduced in the parliament and that this Act is more draconian than TADA and POTA.
He also said that after 2008 Mumbai attack many innocents were continuously prosecuted under this Act in different states. He continued that the amendment in UAPA has certain sections which will deny bail to accused till 180 days from his arrest and will also enable investigation agencies to extract confession from accused and the said confession would be used as evidence against accused during trial. He appealed the activists that due to such draconian sections in the amendment of UAPA which goes against the human rights, they all should get together, raise their voice and not let the parliament pass the said amendment. He announced that they will hold conference in Delhi on 3rd awareness of people against the said UAPA amendments which are due in the parliament.
During the debate social activists who came from different states talked about the abusive use of current UAPA by police and investigation agencies. Other than the social activists the campaign was attended by Adv. Amin Solkar, Adv. Sussain Abraham, Adv. Shahood Anwar, Prof. P Koya, Arun Parera, Shamsher Khan Pathan and many more.